Nigerian High Commissioner Ashimiyu A Olaniyi has called for further cementing agricultural, academia, research and development ties between his country and Pakistan to ensure food security.
Talking to University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf during his visit to the varsity here, he said that Pakistan and Nigeria were enjoying good relations. The contribution of agriculture in Pakistan Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was around 20 per cent whereas it was 23 per cent in Nigeria. He said that his country was having several agricultural universities and research institution in which collaboration would help address common agricultural challenges.
The high commissioner said that his government was putting a special focus on agriculture sector. He said: “Our country is a natural oil and gas producing country whereas it is blessed with the good agricultural produces.” He said that the UAF was very famous university and centre of excellence in agriculture.
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Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that the UAF and Nigerian institutions collaborated work in the field of agriculture would help bring tangible results. He said that agriculture was the backbone of our economy. He said that the UAF was enjoying good relations with the educational and agricultural institutions worldwide. He said that in the past, several agricultural experts from the UAF had worked in Nigeria to boost up the sector there. Later, the Nigerian HC visited different departments of the varsity. Andullahi G Abubakar from Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria, UAF External Linkages Director Dr Rasheed Ahmad, deans Dr Muhammad Aslam, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dr Allah Bakhsh, Director Research Dr Zahir Ahmad Zahir and others were also present.